License-plate holder



March 27, 1928. 1,664,025

. E. ETHERIDGE LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Fjged Jan. 2. 1926 INVENTOR ATT RNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

EENEs'r L.ETHERIDGEQOE-BEQOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LICENSE-PLATE noLn E.

Application filed January This invention relates to license plate holders and particularly tO'dGVlCES of this class wherein the entire license plate may be illuminated; and the object of the invention is to provide a casingin connection with the back wall of which a license plate may be supported, the front of the casing being open and closed by a transparent panel ar-' ranged at an inclinationwhereby light'rays' from bulbs supported at the top of the casing will be reflected from said transparent panel onto the entire license plate; afurther object being to provide a device of the class described with a chamber within the casing between the license plate and the transparent panel, said chamber opening up-' wardly into. a reflector chamber or compartment in the top of the casing, and means be? ing provided for supporting bulbs "at the oppositeend portions ofthe casing for.illuminating the chamber of the casing, and 'a' closed compartment being arranged 1n the top of the casing with means for supporting a'bulb therein; a still .further object'being to provide the top portion of the casing with a removable front plate or cover with means for quickly attaching anddetaching said 1 cover, whereby access to all of the bulbs'may readily be accomplished for adjustment, repair or replacement; and said cover-supporting lenses, one of which is exposed to the closed compartment only, and the other of which is exposed to one of the bulbs supported in the up er end of the casing or to the chamber in t e upperv endof the casing; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, eflicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter- 'de-. scribed and claimed.v

The invention isfully disclosed'in the 'fol lowing specificaiton,iof'which the accoman in drawin forms a art in'which P a g .P 7

the separate parts of my improvement -are designated. by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which: I i

Fig. 1 is afront view of the license plate holder made according. to .my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 with the cover removed but illustrating the cover partially .removed in dotted lines, and

with part of the construction broken away;

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

the front wall of'the casing, the panel 13 being retained-in the frame bykeepers 13*,

The front distance. It will be no 2, "1926. Serial 1 10. 78,793.

Fig. 4"is as'ection on the line 14 of Fig. 2;and, f

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55' of In carryin my invention into effect, I provide an elongated casing 10, the back of the casing being open as shown at 11,-which opening is closed by-thelicense plate 12 mounted; in the casing and secured to' the backwall around the open'ing'llythereini The front wall of the" casing is'also open and adapted to be closed-by a transparent panel f 13, which is supportedin a removable, elongated, rectangular frame [13 constituting note Fig. 3 of'the drawing. will and'this panel is arranged'at an inclinationsothat the lower end ofthe panel'13 is'closer to the license plate than the upper end, wherebylight rays coming from the top 'of the casing and into the chamber 14 of th e'casing willbe* refiected-0nto the entire license plate, thus eliminating any possibility of shadows to be cast upon any part of h xp a The top of the casing is closedby a back wall 15 and the't-op wall 16 is tapered'downwardly'a't the-opposite sidesas shown at 17 and gradually curved into the {side walls of the casing. The'c'hamber'18 withinthe top of the, casing opens into" thefchamber 14 whereby electric light bulbs 19' and 20 mounted in suitable sockets 21 and 22 respectively will illuminate, by reason of their location'in the top 'of the casing, the entire chamber 14 and exposed'face of the license p'late, so thatallof the numerals thereon may be readily seen ata comparatively great.

ted that the" s0ckets'21' and'22 arearranged infthe plane ofthe bacl': wall 15 of the casing whereby a'c'omparatively narrow casing can be employed, thus protlucing'a very neat'and; finished appearance 0 to the entire device. [A closedchamber 23 is formed by a bafiie 'w all Qtfl ithin the chain ber1 8, andanelectric light b11'1b'25'15 supported in the chamber-[23 by asockett26 mounted injthe b'afilewall 24:, and saidjbafile 105 wall serves tofshield thebulb 25'from the chambers 1 lfand" 18, or the chamberj23 is shielded vfrom the "bulbs 19 and 201 by said .bafile'wallq The electric wires 27 for all of' the bulbs or the, sockets 'thereof'pass out- 110 wardly' through an insulated block 28 mounted in one side of the casing.

The upper end of the casing opens outwardly at the front and is adapted to be closed by a front panel or cover 29. To provide for the quick attachment and detachment of said cover, I employ tw-o screws per ends of the screws as shown at 32. The

a. cover29 is provided with a backwardly di- 1 rected flange 33 which overlaps and rests upon the wall 1617 and is provided with L-shaped apertures 34 opening outwardly through the flange to permit the passage of the cover onto the screws 30, and the movement of the screws in said apertures in lock- 'ing'the cover 29 in position as seen in Figs.

4 and 5 of the drawing.

i The :front wall of the cover 29 is provided withan-outwardly and downwardly directed flange 35 which overlaps the upper end por.-

tion of the front wall of the casing and prevents water from entering the casing at this point as will be understood, and also serves to retain the cover 29 in proper'position on the casing. Two lenses 36 and 37 are supported on the cover 29 and the lens 36 is adapted to register with the chamber 28 only of the casing while the lens 37 registers.

with the chamber 18 at the top of the casing adjacent the bulb 19, the latter lens being the normal rear danger signal or tail light, while the lens36 operates as a stop light, and its illumination or operation is controlled automatically in the stopping ofthe vehicle,

as otherdevices of this'class.

It will 'be understood that any, suitable means may be provided for supporting my improved'license plate in connection with a motor vehicle and by virtue of the size and dimensions of the entire casing, the same may be conveniently supported at theconventional places on the vehicle provided for supporting license plates, especially in that the complete casing takes up very little additional space'than the space required for the plate itself. With a casingof the class described, in the event thatfany one of the bulbs employed should burnout or need replacement or adjustment by merely loosening thescrews 31, the cover 29 may be 're- 'moved and access to all ofthe bulbs isthere-. by provided. This result may be accomplished without the use of tools or implements of any kind or class, thus rendering the device practical and efficient. It will be apparent that by virtue of the simplicity of the general design of the casing, the same may befre'adily'kept clean at all times.

It will also be understood-that whuer have shown certain details'of construction for carrying my invention into effect, that Having fully vvdescribed my invention ,v

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1,s: i

Tl. A license plate holder comprising a narrow. box-shaped casing, means for supporting the license-plateau said cas1ng,-a

chamber in said casing and ext'endinginto the top portion thereof, said-chamber at the top of the casing openingoutwardly through the front wall thereof, a cover plate for closing said openingat the top of the casing, stop light and tail light lenses in said cover 7 plate, means for supporting independent electric bulbs in said chamber in alinement with said lenses, means encircling one of said bulbs mounted in said chamber to direct. the light outwardly through the lenses registering therewith, and not'into said chamber. 1 2.. A license plate holder comprising anarrow box-shaped casing, 1nea'ns for supporting the license plate'in said causing, a chamher in said casing and extending into'the top portion thereof, said chamber at the top of the casing opening outwardly" through the front wall thereof, a cover plate for clos- I ing said-opening at'the top of the casing,

stop light and tail light lenses insaid cover late means for s11 ortin inde endent pp 1: P w

electric bulbs in said chamber in .alinement with saidlenses, meansencircling one of said bulbsmounted in said chamberto direct the light outwardly through thelenses registering therewith, and not into said chamber, and other means for supportingan electric bulb in said chamber to. cooperate withthe other ofthe first named"bulbasupporting operated to illuminate the entirety of said casing.

lei

means whereby bulbs mounted therein are lsu top of the casing openingfoutwardly through the front wall thereof, a coverlplate for closing; said o'peningat the top of theorising, stop light andtail light lenses'in said cover plate, means for' supporting independent electric-bulbs in said chamber inalinement' with said lenses, means encirclingv one of said I in'said chamber tocooperate with the other of the first named bulb supportingmeans,

whereby bulbs mounted therein are operated to illuminate the entirety of said casing, and

bulbsmounted in said chamber to direct the V said cover plate having a flange overlying the upper edge of the casing to form a watertight connection between the casing and cover member.

at. A license plate holder comprising a narrow box-shaped casing, means forsupporting the license plate in said casing, a

chamber in said casing and extending into the top portion thereof, said chamber at the top of the casing opening outwardly through the front wall thereof, a cover plate for closing said opening at the top of the casing, stop light and tail light lenses in said cover plate, means for supporting independent electric bulbs in said chamber in alinement with said lenses, mean-s encircling one of said bulbs mounted in said chamber to direct the light outwardly through the lenses registering therewith, and not into said chamber,

other means for supporting an electric bulb in said chamberto cooperate with the other of the first named bulb supporting means whereby bulbs mounted therein are operated to illuminate the entirety of said casing, and said cover plate having a flange overlying the upper edge of the casing to form a watertight connection between the I casing and cover member, and means on the casing and cover member permitting quick attach ment and detachment of the cover member to give access to the chamber at the top portion of the casing, and the bulb supporting means therein. 7 i

5 A license plateholder comprising a narrow box-shaped casing, means for, supporting the license plate in said casing, a

chamber in said casing andex-tending into the top portion thereof, said chamber at the top of the casing opening outwardly through the front wall thereof, a cover plate for closing said opening at the top of the casing, stop light and tail light lenses in said cover plate, means for supporting independent electric bulbs in said chamber in alinement with said lenses, means encircling one of said bulbs mounted insaid chamber to direct the light outwardly I through the lenses registering therewith, and

not into said chamber, other means for sup--' porting an electric bulb in said chamber to in parallel relation with the back wall of ,the casing, and the circuit wires employed therewith extending out through the casing from a block of insulating material.

6. A license plate holder comprising an elongated, narrow, box-shapcd casing, the top of which is provided with an extension, the front wall of the casing proper having a transparent panel arranged at an inclination to the vertical plane of the casing, means for supporting a license plate at the back of the casing proper, the front extension of the casing being open, and the chamber in said extension opening downwardly into the chamber of the casing proper, means for supporting 'a plurality of electric light sockets within the chamber of said extension, a hood within said chamber for encircling one of' said sockets and the bulb thereof to confine the light of said bulb to a given path, a closure plate for the extension of said casing said plate having spaced lenses, one of which is adapted to register "with the last named socket and bulb sup ported therein and the otherwith the chamber within said extension, the lower end of said cover having a flange overlying the upper edge of the transparent front wall of the casing proper and a flange overlying the top and side walls of said extension, and means for detachably securing the cover plate in connection with said extension,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 28th day of December, 1925.

ERNEST L, ETHERIDGEQ said bulb supporting means being arranged 

